'Raksha' the Sanskrit meaning of the word ‘Defense’ is most often used nowadays as Double Entendre. Today defense is not about protection but also about assertion of power to keep enemies at Bay. As a Nation with one of the most ancient civilizations in the world India has witnessed foreign aggression time and again resulting in its reduced territorial land limits and infiltrated cultural identities. Right from Alexander to the British or lately Chinese, India always stood to lose from every single incidence of invasion. With a size as big to be called a sub-continent India never had much unity among her hundreds of princely states when it came to building a united credible defense force. It was Chanakya, the Indian Sun Tzu, who first understood this deficiency and instrumented proper tenets towards a United Bharat – the ‘Akhand Bharat'.

The Post Independence (1947 A.D.): The Nehruvian era saw India finding itself in the league of Non Aligned Movement (NAM) Nations finally ending up in the Anti US group led by the erstwhile U.S.S.R. It is U.S.S.R that became India's first overseas defense partner in its quest for protecting its sovereignty and territorial integrity. Up to late 80s’ most of India's defense purchases were sourced from Russia after U.S.S.R disintegrated. This caused a huge footprint of Russian legacy in India’s defense industry.

The Modern Context post U.S.S.R disintegration: The fall of the Soviet era posed a serious threat to Indian Arms Industry as spare parts weren’t readily available for the Russian infrastructure ecosystems as a lot of defense manufacturers in Soviet Union were now Independent Nations like Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. To fill this void in serviceable hardware India decided to turn towards the Western European countries like France, U.K. and Sweden apart from finding potential defense partners in Israel and in U.S.

India’s Current Capabilities.

India is a Nuclear Power Nation since 1970s but today being Nuclear doesn’t make you a super power unless you can carry out your strikes inside enemy territory and breach their defense shields. Though not a signatory of Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) & Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) India's doctrine of ‘No First Use of Nuclear weapons’ makes it a responsible Nuclear power. India also ratified the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) for banning the use and test of Chemical weapons. India is on the verge of a tectonic shift in their defense tactics and consider more on conventional strikes and credible deterrence.

The Indian Army:

With the second largest standing army in the world comprising of around 12 Lakh active and 10 Lakh reserved personnel India is becoming deadlier when comes to combat capabilities. Unlike other services the Indian Army consumes a lot of ‘Made in India’ equipment and the list is expanding. India's infantry and artillery regiments are equipped with a reasonably good equipment list. It currently operates ageing Russian T72 (Ajeya) and T90 (Bhishm) tanks considered as one of the best in its class even today complemented by the home grown Arjun Mk2. The new generation Future Ready Combat Vehicle (FRCV) is in development stage and is expected to become the Main battle tank and game changer for India owing to its state of the art fire power, Anti radiation shield and toughest armor for frontline defense. India also developed a self-propelled armored artillery gun K9 Vajra in collaboration with South Korea for second line defense. The aftermath of the Kargil conflict exposed several weaknesses when it came to raw assault capabilities and this led to the procurement of ultra light M777 howitzer towed guns from US. India also inducted its own Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) manufactured 'Indian Bofors' called the 'Dhanush’ 155mm caliber howitzer which can fire at an incredible rate of 60 rounds per minute. India has also called to replace it’s age old INSAS assault rifles with new sophisticated ones and a quotation for around 5,00,000 units has already been floated. Also a new defense requisition has been made to OFB for the procurement of light Bullet proof vest for the army. India also developed its own multi barreled rocket launcher called Pinaka. Apart from all these Indian Army has its own tactical air support unit called the Army Aviation Corp which was also developed analyzing the Kargil operation where Army needed to request Air Force for mountain attack missions. The Army aviation currently operates helicopters like Hindusthan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) Rudra and indigenous HAL LCH for close combat situations. Besides HAL Dhruva and HAL Cheetah are used for transport and logistical support. India is also going to get Boeing Apache attack helicopters and medium lift transport Chinook helicopters from US as well.

Long strike capabilities: Indian Army has at their disposal an array of missiles meant for different purposes. The DRDO & BEL (Bharat Electronics Limited) developed Akash is a surface to air missile capable of striking aerial targets 30 km far at a peak altitude of 18000m. The Prithvi series missiles are tactical short range surface to surface ballistic missiles with range up to 600 km with small payloads. India also has a surface to surface short range hypersonic cruise missile named Shaurya. Besides India is months away from inducting the latest Agni 5 nuclear capable MIRV ICBM.

Agni 5: India's first Inter Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) has a range of 5000 to 8000 km enough to cover the whole of China or North Korea and capable of carrying nuclear warhead. Also Agni 5 is Multiple Independently targetable Re-entry Vehicle (MIRV) capable which makes it impossible to neutralize at the terminal phase as an anti missile system cannot take down multiple warheads at one go making it very lethal. However there is no official confirmation on Agni 6 which was believed to come as an advanced avatar of the Agni series.

Pralay: India is currently testing this short range tactical surface to surface ballistic missile meant to bridge the gap between Prithvi series and Agni series.

However the icing on the cake is the indigenously produced and co-developed by Russia & India the world's most advanced multi role supersonic cruise missile – ‘The Brahmos'. It is very lethal due to the very high kinetic energy it generates as well as not so predictable end flight path. The second iteration of Brahmos with a hypersonic speed of Mach 7 is under advanced stage of development.

Air Missile Defense Shield: India has developed its own Missile interceptor system Pradyumna for medium range ballistic missile countering. It has also developed an advanced air defense shield called Ashwin. Besides India has also order the most advanced air defense system S-400 from Russia and NASAM from U.S.

India is again reportedly working on Anti Radiation Missiles to take on enemy advanced warning system.

To boost local manufacturing Government has asked private parties like Tata, Ashoke Leyland and Mahindra to participate in Army bulk transport vehicles.

NAVIC: ISRO has gifted India's own Regional Navigation System and according to reports the precision of this system would be 5m for Civilian use and 2m for military purpose which would provide an unmatched combating edge to the armed forces in difficult terrains. The NAVIC stands for Navigation using Indian Constellation and unlike GPS, Glonass, Galileo and Beideu this system uses a constellation of 7 satellites to provide Navigation in Indian subcontinent only and thus the accuracy is quite high.

What not so cool for the Army: India's indigenous Arjun battle tank is too heavy for its cause resulting in an underwhelming performance. Apart from that India still lacks a proper skill in engine development for armored vehicles. Also India still lacks specialization in sophisticated assault rifles and carbines as the Indian INSAS is far from meeting global standards. Besides Indian army suffers too much casualty in counter insurgency operation. They need proper electronic surveillance systems, effective Droning and good social networking to mitigate this teething issues.

Contd... To Next Part

Disclaimer:Some information are sourced from various public domain and open sources like, MoD portals, Wiki, Journals etc.

In 2005, Bush Administration revoked Modi's tourist visa, under pressure from the Evangelist lobby working relentlessly in India for decades on dubious purposes. Some for good cause of charity. Some on an 'Age of Empire' mission. But when Obama Administration officials have been talking out of turn univocally, at least till October '13, "visa policies unchanged", they were playing to the Red Galleries. There was dangerous intrusion by Extremist supremacy groups into policies under Bush regime, there are worse and more harmful Red bugs under Obama's. Friends in Israel will agree on this too. Perhaps the US needs another avatar of Jefferson to build a Rubicon between the State and the Apostate.

The US, in recent days, has been under this acidic assault more than ever before. We have seen how litmus of bipartisan public decisions is mindlessly turning Red these days in multiple occurrences. What, till a few years back, was a fringe voice against Israel, is now being trumpeted across diplomatic quarters. US dealing with Syria, Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, and even 'drone today-dole tomorrow' policy with the traitor State Pakistan bear testimony of massive confusion that has been injected within. Harvard dismissing Dr. Subramaniam Swamy, a long time economics lecturer for what he wrote half way around the world or Wharton India Economic Forum canceling scheduled keynote speech of Modi under blackmail of Jihado-Facsist gang, were burning examples. Healthcare reforms and giving up to Red agenda groups are not equally acceptable socialist practice. The former has some merit, the later challenges liberty.

Narendra Modi is not just a three term successful and democratically elected Chief Minister in the Indian province of Gujarat, from September 2013, he is also the official Prime Ministerial candidate of National Democratic Alliance, the main opposition block, for upcoming General Polls to be held some time around April 2014. In all opinion polls carried out by major survey agencies in India, he is whoppingly the most popular choice of a billion people. In September '13, a premier election surveyor C-Voter reported Modi as #1 choice with 55% lead, compared to Rahul Gandhi, the Nehru dynasty's heir apparent, trailing at 18%. Though this was an early lead, it is not likely to reverse before election. Modi is almost set to be the 14th Prime Minister of India. In worst case, for debate's sake, the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament. Not engaging with him, is disregardful of the democracy of India, US's democratic peer.

Prevailing perception of Modi is that of a forward-looking administrator who means business. He showcases his province's economic growth over the last decade quite aptly. Growth rate in industry, trade, agriculture, standard of living, Modi's Gujarat has outsmarted India's average in all spheres. Market is bullish on his name. Goldman Sachs and CLSA have upgraded respective investment advices on India assuming Modi gets to the helm. His annual summit 'Vibrant Gujarat' has enthused investors across the globe. Modi not only injected hope into the common man, but in Glodman Sach's words, 'Modi-fied' the market. While Modi, after turning his Gujarat to a land of opportunities, is poised to replicate the same success story to rest of India, global economies seem to follow the tune too. UK, Australia, Japan, Canada and China have established relationship with him officially. How long the U.S afford to skip the bus?

Narendra Modi also poses as the' Iron Man' (Lauh Purush), pitted against the lackluster, effete leadership of incumbent Congress. He prefers to emulate and own the legacy of Sardar Patel, and not Nehru or Indira. Which means, he breaks off the Lohiaite shackle, the Nehruvian status quo of Indian politics. He is the first national leader after Indira and Vajpayee who talks with the nation, sweeps the masses, evokes passion. And all these, minus the pro-Sovietism of Nehru and anti-Americanism of Indira. Does not the U.S still see a potential ally in him? U.S must not keep alienating this Modi any further based on some Red propaganda that have been rejected by Indian courts. U.S must not create an Ahmadinejad which it can very well start with as a Cameron.

Lastly, though Mr. Narendra Modi does not harp on the traditional strings of 'secularism', blames rivals for practicing it as a 'votebank politics', his political USP 'Development for All, Appeasement to None' concludes that he embodies Ashoka, the best and most benevolent leader India ever had. The political rant machine against him has anyways got booed down my Muslim population in his own province Gujarat. In my eyes, he is definitely not anti-Muslim.

This is not the first time bachelors have drawn attention in Indian politics. Who can deny that the very first concept of a united Indian nationhood was conceived by a bachelor academician Chanakya? Sixteen years after independence, the way K Kamaraj stormed into the eye of national whirlpool with his revival plan for Congress, is still a buzz among Lutyen's pundits. Though his 'back-to-grassroot' approach was perceived too austere by many, to many others he turned out to be an overnight savior of Congress amidst its decadent glory. Interestingly, it took less than five years for socialist (best read, samajwadi!) guru Ram Manohar Lohia to prove in Uttar Pradesh that ‘Kamarajerie’,actually, did not work for Congress. Further, does post-Nehru rise of Jana Sangh troika, Deen Dayal – Vajpayee – Nanaji Deshmukh suggest us something? Or even pseudo-political Anna Hazare and Ramdev among today's anashani cults? Bachelors are bachelors.

Bee-buzzing started again when Deccan Doyenne Jayalalitha called in evergreen Naveen Patnaik and progress's posterboy Narendra Modi at Chennai. Surely the official agenda was to formulate a collaborative strategy against National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) bill, but was it limited to that? It would be foolish to believe that three of the four most popular non-Congress Chieftains of current era just met to confirm their stands on a bill. On ground, their arguments in unison against present form of NCTC created a unique scene, unforeseen except the times of formation of United Front and NDA. Mutual Modi-Jaya-Naveen synergy, Jaya being the fulcrum, over and above NCTC could not escape people's eyes. Jaya surprised many by inviting “good friend” Modi in her swearing ceremony. Few days back, at Poes Garden residence she termed Naveen as her “brother” as they "think alike”.

ADMK's brotherhood with Patnaiks is nothing newfound. Biju Patnaik who had close bond with late ADMK supremo MG Ramachandran once mediated in a merger with DMK's Karunanidhi. Patnaik negotiated with Karunanidhi on MGR's behalf; brought them to Cheepauk Guest House to formalize the reunion but, as claimed by Karunanidhi himself, P Ramachnadran marred it all. Jaya perhaps thanks P Ramachandran now for that day but does still hail Biju Patnaik as “fatherly figure”. Some may say, personal friendship does play little role in political alignments. Not wrong but, in turbulent Janata period, it did miracles too.

Biju Patnaik was known to be an amalgamator between groups ideologically apart. During his captive days in Rohtak Jail, he glued trust among Sikander Bakht from Congress(O), socialist Samar Guha and Madhu Dandavate, Chandra Sekhar from a Congress rebel faction, Piloo Mody from Bharaitya Lok Dal, Jaipal Singh from CPIM, Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, L K Advani, K R Malkani from Jan Sangh. It is said, this was the first round-table of non-Congress leaders that took place in Rohtak Jail and eventually led to the first fall of Congress government in Center. For Naveen, being confined to a province does not do justice to the magical stature of his late father. I believe, he has realized that it is time for him to replay.

Naveen Patnaik, except some minor initial differences like that over carving East Coast Railway, has always maintained political symbiosis with Mamata Banerjee, the other most popular leader from the East. From their NDA alliance in past till present days of partnership on NCTC and Central Sales Tax (CST), he reiterated his admiration for Mamata in public.

In West Bengal, there is hardly a scope left for a debate between Congress and Trinamool on who needs whom. Ballot has not empowered anyone else like the machinery of “Maa-Mati-Manush”. Mamata Banerjee, like any Chief Minister, needs to remain engaged with Delhi but assembly result of 2011 has exposed that after Siddhartha babu, Mamata stands for whatever anti-CPIM and anti-CPIM means Mamata only. Her discontentment over Congress cozying up with communists in UPA-1 was never concealed. And she is unsure if her ally can afford to avoid it in 2013-14 Lok Sabha again. But that will indeed dilute her anti-CPIM credentials in 2016. Frequent watermarks of her strained dialogue with Congress state unit as well as the government at Center signify a transition of Didi from a fiery street leader of Bengal to an architect of a potential national alternative.

We have witnessed how Mamata fought against Central cabinet on NCTC, retail FDI, CST and petrol price hike from within. Analysts also believe, it is highly probable that she ends up supporting a candidate of parallel consensuality in Presidential poll. She, therefore, solidifies this provincial axis of powers. One can name it as Jaya-Naveen-Modi-Mamata or any alphabet soup in making. I prefer to name it as the Bachelors' Party, much impressed by the Tea Party movement of the US. And the party has begun; let us wait for crackers. Let us not diminish this phenomenon terming it a 'Satrapization' of Indian politics. If parivartan awaits us, it will not drop on Ramlila or JantarMantar but with this true political representation of provinces. We are a nation because we are provinces.

Whether Ramlila Ground is the
Tahrir Square of India is still not clear, but I can clearly see the shadow of
Jaiprakash Narayan, popularly known as JP, in Anna Hazare. JP shook the largest
democracy in protest against Indira Gandhi's 'Emergency' of 1975. It was the
same Ramlila Ground, where amidst more than a hundred thousand people, JP asked
Indira to resign. Deja vu. Looking at the huge crowd of youth uttering
'Bharat Mata ki Jai' ('Hail Mother India') in Anna's Ramlila,
it seems JP has returned.

JP was a Leftist who slightly got
tweaked to a Gandhian socialist after joining Indian National Congress. But he
could never remain that loyal to Congress. A Gandhian declaring 'Total
Revolution' against the slaughtering of democracy caused the death of Congress
government at New Delhi. The first non and anti-Congress government could never
be a reality without JP's warcry. Anna Hazare, another Gandhian socialist
perhaps lags in JP's oratory but is no lesser deity.

Anna's movement demanding
Janlokpal Bill, the umbrella ombudsman legislation, is aimed at eliminating
corruption from Indian civil life. It sounds as Utopian as did JP seeking an
end to Indira Gandhi's authoritarianism and nepotism. Both appeared, at times,
as things too tightly entwined with Indian psyche. Never forget, 'Indira was
India' in those days.

Anna is often seen as JP's avatar
for some of his grass-root social activism as well. His model village Ralegan
Siddhi and rainwater harvesting, crop rotation, self-reliant village might
sound too idealistic in a free-trade, less-government modern society but are
realities. As real were JP's Sarvodaya and Bhudan movements focusing village
upliftment. JP was rubbished by many mainstream politicos. Anna has been ridiculed
too.

Interestingly enough, socialist
JP's 'Total Revolution' never assumed the 'Indian Right' as untouchables. The
Hindu Nationalist group, namely Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and allied
political front Bharatiya Jana Sangh (BJS) leaders were in full collaboration
with JP. His Navnirman revolution of 1970's against corruption of Gujarat
provincial head Chimanbhai Patel of Congress grew up on foundations created by
RSS. Anna's Janlokpal movement, similarly, is now receiving moral backing and manpower
from RSS and other organizations perceived as right-wingers, e.g. Swami
Ramdev's Bharat Swabhiman Trust.

It took more than a week,
although, for the center-right opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), a
literal successor of BJS, to lend full-fledged support to Anna Hazare publicly.
BJP's upcoming possible Prime Ministerial candidate, Narendra Modi has held
multiple occasions to throw his weight behind Anna.

@NarendraModi: "My request to dear
tweeples: let us expose each of the undemocratic means used to curb Anna’s
movement through tweets"

It is believed by many that
during Navnirman revolution, Modi, a then young RSS volunteer, came to JP's
notice!

After Indira's great fall,
ministry in 1977 at New Delhi with Morarji Desai as Prime Minister was an
unusual coalition of center-right BJS and center-left Janata. Anna wave has
potential to dig down Manmohan Singh-Sonia Gandhi's government. Political
pundits are not ruling out possibility of a mid-term election too. India's
center-right is no more a minor party but principal opponent in parliament.
Will a post-Anna fall-out see the return of India's center-right? Only time can
tell that. But Anna Hazare is surely JP 2.0 of India.

Re: Why I Stand By Dr. Subramanian Swamy

Many could realize a Jihadist
uproar, but were shocked at the so-called ‘Leftist’ maneuver against Dr.
Subramanian Swamy, all for his piece of Op-ed published on an Indian newspaper Daily
News and Analysis (DNA). Well, I was not. ‘Left Liberal’ is an oxymoron.

Red-robes, be under Stalinist
brand of Socialism, Maoist brand of communism or disguised neo-Leftists of 21st
century, have never upheld people’s freedom and democratic rights. Historians
are of opinion that at least 3 million lives were butchered during Stalin’s
regime, at his or his ‘Socialist’ machinery orders. Mao’s period too, that witnessed
slaughtering of hundreds of thousands of men, women and children, saw one of
the worst and widespread red-terror in China and neighboring nations. Horror of
red-robes continues in the remote pockets of this world till date which the ‘Devil’s
Advocates’ or neo-Leftists try to either exonerate or mute down.

Neo-Leftists of Modern Earth, who
have infiltrated into press, academics and public lives of democratic countries,
pose a greater threat to human rights and freedom. In India, to get lost power restored,
extreme Lefts have set-up entente with Jihadists. What? Leftists and faith
together?Yes. No surprise. Atheist
Stalin who destroyed hundreds of churches, massacred monks and nuns, also
reopened many of the shutdown shrines toward a later point of his reign for
political benefits. Collaboration between the Left extremists of India, also
known as Naxalites, and Jihadists from parts of Kashmir, illegally occupied by
Pakistan are well documented. Neo-Leftist sects in Indian media sympathize with
Islamists – is not a mere perception. In U.S press too, there is no scarcity of
people of the ilk of Helen Thomas, the Jihadists’ delight.

So, it is not unnatural on their
part to demonize Dr. Swamy. In his op-ed article on Daily
News and Analysis (DNA), he defines terrorism as “… the illegal use of
force to overawe the civilian population to make it do or not do an act against
its will and well-being”. To bear in mind that he wrote it mere a couple of days
after terrorists’ bombs shook Mumbai again (7/13) citing al-Qaeda’s declaration
of India as their priority enemy. The wounds were fresh, but facts remain
perpetual. It is gullible to deny that
India is on Jihadist radar for anything other than religion. It is too naive to
believe that agents like Ghulam Nabi Fai cook an issue out of Kashmir without a
brush of religion. And it is utter falsehood that the act of terrorism on Hindu
India and her people following the Islamic invasion of Mahmud of Ghazni (971 –
1030 AD) was anything but contrasting religions. Hindus of Indian subcontinent
have been the targets of various forms of Jihad, in the same way Christians of
Medieval Europe and Modern Americas or Jews of Middle East.

Dr. Swamy, like millions of
Hindus of India and Indian origin, believes that, by character, India is a
‘Hindu Rashtra’ or a ‘Hindu Nation’. There are many stalwarts of Indian
electoral democracy and society who believe in the same. ‘Hindu Rashtra’, here,
does never imply a Hindu theocratic state but is founded on the pluralist and
democratic tenets Hindutva. Hindutva is a legitimized socio-cultural practice approved
by the democratic apparatus and constitution of India. Needless to say, Hindutva
is the single most significant political principle that India votes on – for or
against.

In his article, Swamy went on
prescribing antidotes for Jihadi or Islamic terrorism that India has been
suffering since 10th century. He urges sensible and patriot Muslims
of India to accept their Hindu ancestry.Now, at this point one may not find it justifed. Not because it could
spark off a debate but the seer question, will acceptance or denial of Hindu
ancestry make Indian Muslims any different? Islam is not an Indic faith; hence
it does not require an anthropologist to utter it loudly that barring a
minuscule of direct descendents of Central Asian invaders, all Muslims of India
bear the same Hindu lineage as any Hindu does. One may agree or disagree or
debate over acceptance of this truth, but who can deny truth?

The famous Muslim poet of undivided
India Nazrul Islam wrote ‘Hindus and Muslims – in India we are the two buds on
the same stalk’. Another noted Muslim scholar Mohammad Iqbal urged Indian
Muslims to accept Rama, an avatar of Hindu God Vishnu or Krishna, as ‘Imam-e-Hind’
or ‘Prophet of India. Learned Muslims have shown Indians the way. If Nazrul, the
national poet of Muslim dominant Bangladesh or Iqbal, the national poet of
Islamic Pakistan are still hailed, why should Dr. Swamy be condemned? Do you
find anything illogical or hateful enough to impeach someone off his conscience
and wisdom?

Dr. Swamy who has been a sound
parliamentarian, twice a minister with the Government of India, a renowned
economist, an acclaimed academician, rationally a patriot, and a summer
professor in the Harvard also belongs to the center right political quarters.
He has always been targeted by Indian Leftists on various issues. He is now
leading a stringent legal drive against ministers in the present government who
are directly charged with some of massive financial corruption and forgery
cases. Leftist or rightist bias in media is nothing new in democracies. Similarly
it is quite known, neo-Leftist sects in Indian media find an ally in the Indian
ruling party Congress; more after the Left parties have lost last traces of
power. And they are, naturally, upset with Swamy’s legal activism.

The petition raised by some
neo-Leftists in Harvard, almost none of whom are his students, urging the
university to sever relationship with Dr. Swamy is hence, politically
motivated. It is a result of Leftist frustration with Swamy. Many of the
proponents of this malicious petition have links with the neo-Leftist camps in
India. Surely, one can have his or her political views but I request you not to
degrade Harvard, the global marvel, to an amphitheater of narrow Indian political
drama and ad hominem. Nothing in Dr. Swamy’s op-ed is an assault to a person,
creed or nation. If we cannot protect one’s Freedom of Expression in the very
epitome of democracy, United States, we will perhaps fail the forefathers of
this nation who struggled to uphold nothing but Freedom. We must defend both –
Freedom of Expression and Freedom from Jihad that our great nation stands for.

There are counter-petitions
active on the internet supporting not only Dr. Swamy’s right to express but the
content too. Few of them are:

Dr. Swamy is truly a tolerant Indian
Harvard scholar who is married to a Parsi, who has his two children-in-law a
Muslim and a Christian, his brother-in-law a Jew perhaps embodies the spirit of
India. I request you Ms. Drew G. Faust, the esteemed President of Harvard
University, to support any endeavor to uphold Freedom of Dr. Swamy or any
Harvardian, to be generic, and ignore politically motivated name calling.

Be it a convenient conspiracy theory or the
great Indian ‘fast’ against corruption, it finds a big-font mention all the
times. Sometimes it deserves, sometimes is blamed, often push-sold. Many among
mainstream politicos are proud of association with it and many others, haughty
to clapperclaw it. It is what primarily demarcates India’s ruling alliance and opposition
bloc, ideologically. It is what makes today’s Congress or mars the BJP or did
the opposite in past. It is the Sangh. And welcome to the Sangh-nation.

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) or, in
short, the Sangh has been emboldening its presence in every corner, since
founded in 1925 by an ex-Congress politician. From being a small group of
Hindu-rights enthusiasts in Nagpur town to orchestrating the most significant,
democratically elected non-Congress government at the center ever, Sangh is
everywhere. Whether one is for it or against it.

Most recent anti-corruption agitation of
civil societies has brought the Sangh once again to the centerstage of debate.
The two prominent chieftains spearheading these popular movements, Anna Hazare
and Swami Ramdev, have been damned by the government as agents of the Sangh.
There is no lack of evidence that the later has pledged support to both Anna
and Ramdev though.

It was affiliation to the Sangh that did split
the anti-Congress umbrella Janata Party in 1980 and gave birth to nationalist
center-of-right outfit Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). In 1984 parliamentary
elections, however its journey started with just two seats. Since then, both
the Sangh and the Party identified camaraderie of Hindu Nationalism or
‘Hindutva’ reciprocal to each other. While the party became a political face of
Hindutva, the later continued being back-office mentor.

Today, pan-India unions affiliated to the
Sangh are the becoming pernicious headache to ruling Congress. Not just because
they have outnumbered Congress-affiliated ones but also the shadow of a
potential civil uprising against it. From the largest labor union to the
largest student forum, from the largest farmers’ body to the second largest
political party – the Sangh holds them all. Through its scathing verbal attacks
and ad hominem against the ‘Hindutva’ brigade, Congress shows, battle against
BJP is won, if cement of the Sangh breaks.

The combined resistance, along with Socialites
or samajwadis, that the Sangh
exhibited against Indira Gandhi’s Emergency, a dark-age for democracy, has
drawn many of them closer lately. Samajwadi
icons like George Fernandez and Nitish Kumar have joined the Sangh-shaded
National Democratic Alliance more than a decade back. Both the Sangh and samajwadis have much in common on
matters pertaining to their conservative economic policies. On economic bills and
international affairs, a Sangh-guided BJP, thus, gets natural backing from the
Left and samajwadi pockets, however
different they are on social outlook. Example, from WTO agreement to Nuclear
Liability – take any. It is to note, pro-US BJP ultimately persuaded its
approvers on both, though.

It may sound surprising to learn that BJP,
the political face of the Sangh and chief opposition party, rules over a third
of population of India through provincial governments. Believe it or not,
Narendra Modi, the blue-eyed icon of the Sangh and Chief Minister of the
Gujarat province is immensely popular among the most influential middle-class
people and in any fair poll may emerge to be the most popular candidate for
future Prime Minister.

Congress knows these facts well and has
adopted a well-devised two-pronged strategy to counter the Sangh juggernaut.
One is by over-incentivizing pro-establishment media against it and other is
artificially linking its pro-Hindu stance with domestic right-wing terror. And
they have been quite successful in fanning bees off the Sangh time to time.

But the fact remains that it is either
approval or disapproval of the Sangh that shoots an event up to headlines every
day. One has to be either pro- or anti- Sangh to make it to the power corridors
of New Delhi. And the nation will remain so for a long time till the Sangh
relinquishes or the other, both of which seems far from being achievable. Isn’t
India a Sangh-nation?